Four public universities to be renamed Rawlings, Busia and two others

General News of Monday, April 8, 2019

Source: Myjoyonline.com

2019-04-08

Four public universities will be renamed if a bill from the Ministry of Education reaches Parliament and is adopted in its current form.

In the bill, the University of Development Studies, for example, is renowned in the honor of the first president of the fourth republic, Jerry John Rawlings, who made the university one of its legacy.

The Legon University of Professional Studies is renowned after its founder, Nana Opoku Ampomah.

Komla Agbeli Gbedemah, former member of the United Gold Coast Convention (UGCC) and member of the Convention People's Party (CPP), is honored by the University of Health and Allied Sciences, located in the region of the Volta, where he is from.

Finally, the University of Energy and Natural Resources would be known as the University of Energy and Natural Resources Kofi Abrefa Busia; in the honor of the second Prime Minister of Ghana and the only representative of the second republic.

In addition to the name change, the Public Universities Bill aims to obtain the majority of university board members from the university community and pbad them on to the government.

However, the executive is under pressure to withdraw the bill even before it is reviewed by the legislative arm of the government.

Professor Ransford Gyampo, a professor of political science at the University of Ghana, launched a crusade on Facebook against the government, saying the academic community would resist any political interference at any cost.

"… We would resist any attempt to touch our academic freedom with our blood," he wrote.

Other speakers expressed similar feelings.

Meanwhile, the minority in Parliament warned the government to abandon the idea "altogether".

Part of the bill which provides that all public universities would be subject to a centralized admission system "would not bode well for academic activities," said Peter Nortsu-Kotoe, spokesman for minorities on l & # 39; education.

Nortsu also opposes the government having a majority on the university board, as this would "compromise academic freedom"

In response to the sentiments expressed, the ministry stated that the bill was only one project and that it was subject to the contributions of lecturers and other more experienced members of the universities.